Monday, December 30, 2013

At LOTSWild we like to change with the seasons, and the seasons have changed! Check back soon for an updated webpage image helping us get ready for a vibrant Spring and an Extreme Winter (snowboarding!!!).

Monday, December 23, 2013

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Class in Canton is ON for Monday
No class Christmas Eve in Black Mountain (24th), Tuesday
No Classes Wednesday Christmas Day
YES there is class the 26th, boxing day, Thursday in Black Mountain
Yes on Friday in Canton unless we're all snowboarding.

Merry Christmas and a Happy Wonderful New Year to everyone around the world. Thank you for the many visits.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Looking
for ONE FINAL AWESOME hands down BEST most unique and EDUCATIONAL
adventurous STORYMAKING christmas present? Know someone between ages
8-17, or even an adult? Consider a summer camp session with Spencer 2
Dogs on Cold Mountain, NC. Our program, Land of the Sky Wilderness
School, is celebrating its 11th year and is unlike any other gift you
could give. For $350 per session you can choose from an amazing 2014
line up including; Blacksmith Camp, Scout Camp, Ninja Camp, Sail Camp,
Photography and Acting Camp, and more.

Reservations may be made
over the phone at 828-280-0847, or via email (paypal) for a small fee.
The unique gift of a camp session comes with a signed color photo, and
Eugene has been known to show up and teach ultimate survival secrets as
well.

For more information please visit our website and take a
look at photo galleries, or look at the incredible activity list. In
addition, many of the things done in the show are discussed with life
lessons taken out for ease of learning. There's nothing else like it
anywhere!

Come with us! We just had a very successful couple of days at a wonderful cabin on Beech Mountain. Can't pay much? That's fine, split with the rest of us. Terrible at boarding? You'll fit right in. Don't have time? Bah....

"Like" our first cabin on facebook and see where we hung out, the owners were very accomodating and easy to work with -

If you are local and would like to learn at Cataloochee let us know, we can get a group discount rate

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Well, here's a response and my official article on the issue. Visit
and read what CNN doesn't want you to hear, what George Soros fears
more than aything in the world, and what common dreams will not debate.
A free man's response to the health care debate, below:
_____________________________________________________
OK, time for my piece I suppose. As it turns out I wrote a short
article that sums up nicely my opinion and considerations of the issue
and will post it below.

First of all, I hear those concerns folks have. My family, when I was
teaching, was exactly in that category. Health insurance for my wife and
kid was over $500 month, and when we cleared (after taxes) little over
$2,000 / month that was simply impossible, so we had none. We couldn't
get aid except in emergencies, last minute, and we couldn't afford the
insurance. So why would I NOT be for this government driven reform.
Follow closely, please...

I have certain principles, and suicidal as they may be, I believe in
these principles even to the detriment of my own ability to see a
hospital doctor, if so be it. These principles include the right to a
sort of privacy, the right to disagree with my government, the right and
ability to ask questions, the right to bear arms to protect my family,
home, and country, I believe in the right to my own religion or none at
all. What does this have to do with health care? Everything.

You see, health care is the perfect in-road. It is an emotional
plea, it tugs on our tender heart, it plays on our fears, and is the
perfect way to contract into someones most personal life all the while
appearing like a hero. In my opinion, the elitist controllers who relish
power have tried and tried to find ways into governing our every day
lives to the most intimate detail, but they have thus far failed because
the American people value many of those same things I do - from all
political stripes!

I see Health Care as a trojan horse. Yes, the 'government' pays for
the new health care, but who is that? It is us, so taxes and fees
increase, and the beauracracy grows and grows.

Where do the congress folk go for health care? NOT the unversal
system being proposed, no, they would still have the the high class
personal system that we all enjoy today. So there, immediately, there is
a classification between the rulers/elites health care and the common
people. But it doesn't end there. Do you eat certain foods, what
activities do you engage in? The government will now have a reason to
find out, and charge accordingly, or administer care accordingly to
behavior that is within the acceptable bounds for risk and liability.
Remember, our government is about bankrupt, they will absolutely find
ways to limit expensive care. Have a gun? Your risk increases of,
whatever, so different care for you. Like skateboarding, skiing, all
sorts of activities can be used to engineer the behavior of the masses
because of their fear and need to be 'taken care of'. This behavioral
engineering and allocating of scarce medical resources may very well,
and reasonably, become a political control tool - if it has not already
done so to some degree.

I do not have a need 'to be taken care of' by my government, other
than what basic things are necessary for food and environment
safety/preservation, national defense, emergency preparedness, and other
things civilization requires.

Remember when the 'church' in the middle ages was the sole source of
medical treatment? People who healed and administered herbs outside the
system were branded - you got it, witches! Already doctors and folks
who are resisting this centralization of health care are being branded
and demonized, it's in the administration propaganda as well as the news
outlets that already have a stake in the new system of things.

So yes, I may have to deal with a broken leg, but I would rather
have a broken leg and be free, than go through lines and procedure and
red tape and forms and mindless robots at a central health department,
have a fixed leg, and lose what generations of Americans have fought and
died for - Freedom.

What we are witnessing is simply an attack on American's soft
emotional state, combined with some level of fear, to find an in road to
the bastion of liberty that is the American constitutional system, the
Republic.

We are tempted to fall for it because we have been conditioned by
our teachers and our media, and we do not appreciate, nor are we willing
to stand for those bygone things which meant everything to our
predecessors.

Health care reform? Yes. Lawsuits. Insurance fraud. Cost control.
Access. Common sense. But handing over what would then be 60% of the
entire US economy to a government which NO ONE in their right mind, with
respect to history, should trust - no thanks.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Special thanks to the Parker Linekin Academy of Martial Arts and Cepeda Brothers Stickfighting/Martial Arts for a great trip. GM Brian Adams welcomed a diverse crowd of top quality students and instructors in working general IMA techniques, Kenpo-Jiu Jutsu chokes, flow exercises, stick fighting and pocket stick. Attendees cross trained in Aikido, Systema, Brazilian Jiu Jutsu, Kenpo, and more. The Cepeda family was most gracious in accepting fellow instructors to visit and review black belt and master's promotion. The humility and skill displayed by all was world class, matched only by the excellence of the warriors present.

Friday, August 16, 2013

The most drastic thing to change my training and
physical development in the last two years has been a focused and
consistent look at nutrition, and then using that knowledge to make
daily choices. Different body types have different requirements. I am
that person who rages when the school lunch lady won’t let you get a
potato with your meal because “too many people are obese.” I can’t
stand seeing only low fat yogurt in the grocery store and often buy baby
yogurt because it’s the healthiest. I actually have some opinions on
the effectiveness of no calorie and reduced nutrition foods even for
people trying to lose weight. But for ectomorphs like me, high
metabolism freaks of nature, every calorie is like gold! When I try to
push my daily intake to a level that will increase size and muscle mass I
quickly see that it is a daunting, expensive, time consuming
challenge. I find myself saying, “700 calories? Great give me two.”
While overall caloric goals can be approached by breaking eating up into
4-6 meals a day, what makes up those calories does matter also. The
program I have followed and developed over the last couple of years is
something I plan on teaching soon and sharing with others because
there’s just not enough good information out there for skinny martial
artists who want to retain lightning fast speed while gaining effective
muscle strength and size.
I use the word effective because of the criticism
people often levy against resistance training. Folks say, “The size you
gain from weightlifting is useless, prone to damage, and not truly
efficient.” Of course that’s mostly a load of crap based on a few poor
examples. Having your vital organs and bones on the surface of your
skin is never favorable when someone is trying to poke, punch, kick,
grab, jab, or otherwise cease your mobility. Muscle is armor, in
addition to strength. And while one can slip out of balance, proper
muscular development and tone is vital for optimum performance in any
physical endeavor. It’s paramount that the muscular development be
brought into a mold that mimics the requirements of a given field, and
that’s where my program comes in – but that’s not what this short
writing is about! It’s about an easy meal you can fix yourself that
covers a lot of bases.
Time is precious for most of us. For most guys
learning to cook is really a matter of impressing some girl, or girls,
women, whatever. I mean we like good food, but a pot of mac and tuna
does just fine at getting us full. A little salad answers the
persistent voice of mom. Broccoli has some complex carbs, and we want
strength and energy and to not burn existing muscle, so we steam that.
Besides broccoli can have butter and a little cheese. Mmmmm. Cheese.
So what is it we are looking for?
We want a food that isn’t too expensive, doesn’t get
old fast and isn’t too exotic to enjoy over and over again. It should
be capable of slight changes in flavor, have some vegetable element,
carbs, healthy fats, and a GORGE of protein. Omega stuff, calcium, and
be able to last all day without going bad or getting gross. There’s
more; it should be portable. Bonus if we can throw it in a bag or box
and eat on it all day. Add a few little staples like rice, noodles,
bread, or whatever you want and this precious food source can become a
meal. Add alfredo sauce and wine and you can impress your girlfriend.
Or friends. Whatever!
Enter Salmon. Wild caught Alaskan Salmon to be
precise. I remember when it was like a buck per can, I bought at least
50 cans for my Y2K stash. It was a good investment. In fact I still
stock up on salmon from time to time. Note that the farmed salmon
(often called natural) is colored with weird stuff you don’t want. The
wild stuff sells for around $3 a can and can be eaten right out of the
can if you can stay in true bachelor mode. We got this in the can. Add
a bagel and we’re done. 79 grams of protein. But that doesn’t fit the
bill as mentioned above.
RECIPE: Ok, drain the can of salmon and dump the
whole thing into a medium to large bowl. Add a raw egg and crush a few
handfuls of saltine crackers (or substitute of your choice), add those.
Now dice a small onion, put it in with a few pinches of cayenne or
other hot sauce, Curry is great! A pinch of Cinnamon can round of the
flavor and add some nice anti-oxidants. Mix well. Crush the bones with
a fork if you don’t like them, or if you are fixing this for your
girlfriend or whatever. I’ve tried substituting everything for the
crackers; corn meal, oat meal, crushed acorns, cereal, unknown dry
substances in my pantry. In the woods this is where you add bugs and
berries but that’s a different article I think. The onions are
critical and sweeten the mix. Anyway, form the congealed substance
into a small ball and pat it out flat. Have hot oil ready to go in a
pan and drop in the patties starting with a ring around the edge, add
the center patty last. Some oils are better than others. In general,
veggie oils produce the most poisonous heat related by-products, bacon
grease handles high heat without oxidization, olive oil is in the
middle, Coconut oil is superior. The center patty cooks extra fast on
most eyes. I find the best texture happens with higher heat (Medium);
crispy outside and tender but cooked inside. Rotate the ones on the
outside of the pan because often only half of the patty gets well
crisped. One can of salmon can make anywhere from 9 smaller patties to 5
or 6 large ones. But the fun is not over. Of course flip them at some
point and place on a paper towel of you have one. The finished product
is good ALL DAY, even overnight. Heck I’ve probably pushed the
boundaries a little and eaten them many days later. All ingredients can
be stored without electricity in a primitive environment – yes eggs
stay good a long time outside the fridge, but if you have a water source
you also have a good cooler. Plastic bags work but they are strange
when it comes to moisture, and plastic breaks down into estrogen-like
compounds, which for us guys is kind of the opposite of the whole goal
here. That might explain a lot. In general strive for less plastic,
dudes.
The best non-impact resistant storage is a small box
with patties wrapped in foil, cardboard ok. Reheating works well but
they are great cold. Add granola, fruit, or rice and some sauce and you
have a world class meal on-the-go. Getting back to weight gain; fix a
load of these in the morning and eat between every meal all day. An
evening dose of salmon helps keep the body from consuming itself in the
early morning hours as you sleep. Let me rephrase clearly; it is not a
meal, it is in addition to all other meals!
Let me know how it goes! I have fun salmon stories,
one of which being a trip to Jamaica where we had a delay and spent the
night at the airport eating our box of patties all night, freezing cold,
blowing a didjeridoo and looking weird in general.
Bonus tip: If you eat the salmon within 45 minutes
after a hard workout, the protein uptake in the muscle tissue is at its
highest and will result in stronger synthesis if practiced as a routine
habit. A good digestive system lengthens the window up to an hour and a
half, poor systems need fixing but mean you should start eating as your
sweat dries. The body should be hydrated from drinking water before and
throughout the workout. Translation; eat salmon patties after training
and get stronger. Drive on!

Author Spencer Bolejack directs Land of the Sky Wilderness School
in western North Carolina where he teaches martial arts from a variety
of perspectives, systems, and schools.

Friday, July 12, 2013

One of the plants I find myself
talking about most is Yucca.There are a
few varieties within the United States including y. glauca and y. filmantosa,
the latter being native to the southeast US.Planted as an ornamental shrub around driveways and mailboxes Yucca has
expanded along roadsides, drainages, and parking lots throughout western NC.Known by settlers for its ability to produce
soap suds (roots), and therefore shampoo, Yucca has a few other important uses
for mountain people and nature students.Some times are better than others for harvesting, depending on purpose,
and we are in a prime time right now for one of the most exciting uses!

Few outdoor and primitive skills
are more fundamental than the ability to make cordage, start fire, weave a
container of some sort, catch fish, repair a wound, or stay clean.Yucca can provide for all of these.It amazes me how many people walk around with
a haughty attitude about natural knowledge and the woods because they live in
the country or occasionally hunt when in reality they know very little.Just as in martial arts the attitude of “I
already know that” is a roadblock to learning and should be dismantled
immediately regardless of age or experience level.Do you know about Yucca?If not, follow onward!

One easy to find source of fiber
for making cordage, or natural rope woven by hand, is the inner bark of various
trees.Tulip / Poplar is a fun material
that works best when slightly rotted or wet for a period of time but it can be
a little weak.Human strength can break
a small to medium cord, but it works well for necklaces and bracelets,
especially if you’re concerned about wearing an unbreakable garrote.Yucca fibers, however, are incredibly
strong.I haven’t applied scientific
testing in comparison to the cordage from Basswood, which is not breakable by
human strength, but Yucca is far stronger than Poplar bark.My friend Eugene Runkis made a 25 foot
tapered fly fishing line from Yucca fibers that he has used for years and which
is featured in the Moonshining episode of Hillbilly Blood, season 1.Splicing is easy, and for short sections, the
length of a single lance shaped leaf, the fiber comes complete with a needle
attached to the end.The needle is so
sharp it can pierce skin and be used to sew a wound.I once thought wound sewing was some far-out
advanced stuff but have saved at least three animals with wound sewing prowess;
learn to suture.One of the more odd
facts about Yucca is that it’s a fish narcotic, and when used in a contained
area of water can cause fish to become slow and dumb, even floating up to the
surface where they can be collected by hand.Since we’ve already mentioned shampoo I’m just going to skip to my
personal favorite use of Yucca and why RIGHT NOW is a crucial time for YOU to
go and grab some!

I
sometimes call myself the lazy survivalist.In actuality what that means I like to stay warm, dry, comfortable, and
enjoy my place in the wilderness and use intelligence and natural resources to
provide time to enjoy the view, smell the flowers, watch the critters,
contemplate existence.Imagine what life
is like when humans struggle every moment to survive; warzones, extreme
poverty, natural disaster zones.This means
very little in the way of thinking; no philosophy, art, music, innovation,
etc.Striving to get ahead of struggle
is a worthy accomplishment for more reasons than being lazy I assure you.Well, in the pursuit of speed and ease I have
found Yucca to be #1 of all possible materials to be used in a fire by friction
kit.Fire by friction is a term that
refers to the production of fire by the process of rubbing things
together.For a bow drill FxF kit one
needs a hand hold, bow, spindle, and fire board or hearth.Yucca not only makes a fine cord suitable for
temporary use on the bow but the stalk of the plant is the perfect balance of
all qualities for a coal starting material.It’s hard enough but powders quickly.It is already round so we don’t have to carve anything! That’s a big
deal!Simple shaving to shape the
cylinder is adequate.The only real
problem with Yucca as a fire spindle is worms.These little worms crawl in to eat and hang out all Fall and Winter.When you grind your spindle down into one
they squish out adding lubrication to the fire hearth, which is the opposite of
friction.No coal = no fire.Worm squish.No fun.If the worm has eaten
enough then the spindle can actually fall apart and break from weakness, plus
all the worm holes let in water which degrades the stalk faster.There is a very easy fix for all of this,
however.Harvest your Yucca before the
worms get to it.That’d be the happy
middle between when the plant flowers and seeds and when the worms get in!That’d be just about now depending on your
location!Up here in the high elevations
we have a little longer to go before the plant fully reproduces for the season
but some areas are getting very close.If your Yucca source is in no need of conservation because there is
plenty then harvest away.Let it dry
naturally, and of course choose the straightest stalk you can find.Some people like the thick stalk but remember
thin stalks reach a higher RPM/spin rate so they make up for the reduced
surface area.Experiment with both.Thinner weighs less too and is smaller which
can be helpful for light travelers.

Yucca
is hard to cut with a pocket knife and worse to break by hand, a small machete
or chopping knife makes quick work of the stalk.And ask land owners before jumping out and
cutting down their stuff.I usually just
say I use the plant for crafts unless they seem interested then I really let
loose and before long they are like, “Ok ok take the freakin Yucca and get out
of here!”

Below
are some links and a picture that should help demonstrate the plant and its use
in fire by friction.If you have any
questions write me anytime.Take care,

Monday, July 1, 2013

There is a fun movie that I
sometimes play for my martial arts students named Iron and Silk.While at once playful and light hearted it
does a great job of exposing some of the cultural differences that have existed,
even into modern times, between the West and Chinese tradition.As the character of Teacher Mark begins
teaching English he also studies Kung Fu from Sifu Pan, a master who plays
himself in the movie.There are many
wonderful moments throughout the film, but perhaps my favorite is when Sifu Pan
is rejecting Mark’s request for training, the final question being; “Can you
eat bitter?”

While
there are some valuable improvements in modern education that use terms like ‘child-centered’
and student directed learning, we also risk making the error of giving kids the
impression that they are the center of their Universe.Martial arts training is by nature tough, and
it should be.One must condition the
body to be stronger, to take blows without injury, to push beyond ordinary
limits and perform with grace under pressure.Additionally, wilderness skills require a foundation of perseverance,
the ability to choose happiness in the face of physical challenge and emotional
stress, to find humor and peace in the uncomfortable, to see good in the midst
of rain, cold, heat, exhaustion, long distances, and hard work.What is it that traditional Chinese people found
so valuable in hard work that the phrase became a virtue to be passed on and
highlighted from generation to generation?Have we done a good job of teaching our own children to ‘Eat Bitter’?

You can
probably imagine the difficulty of operating a wilderness and martial arts
school.The classes are engineered to
enlarge comfort zones, to increase boundaries and potential, to overcome
limitations.The other day I had to ask
my wife, “Am I just getting older or are the kids whining more than ever these
days?”And it has financial overtones.Do I run a camp that sticks to the mission,
mixing in fun and social elements and games and entertainment BUT STAYS TRUE to
a program that makes kids eat some bitter? Or do I sell out and just cater to
their needs and stay away from things that make camp drudgery for them in the
short term?Well I know the answer,
haha, the question isn’t really there, but the same thing happens in martial
arts class.I hear the most stupid
things sometimes from people; “Well, we quit because we just really wanted to
see more belt promotions, you know, he’s only tested twice in the last year so
we’re going somewhere else?” Are you kidding me?My favorite, “You made my kid do pushups.”
Ok.“This is hard work, I mean, it’s fun
and all, but I think my son just needs a little more playtime.”I’m feeling like some old stick in the mud at
this point.And you’ll notice here that
my frustration is usually more with the parent than the kid.You see, kids don’t know any better.Like a horse that eats corn until it dies,
kids feed the comfort mechanism to their own peril.My 3 year old daughter would eat candy until she
fell over and croaked, if it were up to her.But it’s not.

In some
ways we have gotten backwards.There is
a school that used to visit Turtle Island where the students give the teachers ‘grades’,
and this feedback determines whether or not the teacher returns to their
job.So the teachers are afraid to
discipline the students and rely on us wilderness counselors to do that, which
I gladly provide in a professional and appropriate way (that ends up garnering
more respect and personal admiration from the kids anyway).Parents listen to a kid’s camp experience and
hear, “It was really hot and we had to walk a long way, I don’t want to do that
again” and somehow hear that as a negative thing.I would say, awesome kid, way to drive on,
guess where you’re going again!Why? Because there is value in learning to eat
bitter.

We are
not enduring hardship for hardship’s sake.Instead we are learning that investment pays off, that there is a return
on our hard work, that discomfort is a matter of choice and that we can learn
to be comfortable in a wide variety of settings!We are learning that sometimes the ticket to
beauty, to nature, to adventure and the unknown, is something that is
hard!We are learning that it’s ok to
get mad for a moment, to feel frustration, to feel like we can’t continue, and
then step into the most brilliant light at the end of that tunnel!As humans encapsulate themselves in the soft
cocoon of safety, wanting to control every moment and guarantee their
expectation of reality THEY DIE! They lose freedom.They miss mystery!They grow old, disappointed with life, afraid
of shadows, and jealous of those who live!I’m only 36 but I’ve seen it, and I see it.

So yes,
my frustration is with the parents because there is something worse than not
wanting to eat bitter.It is tasting it,
then spitting it out never to return to the table of hardship.These kids who are taught to shy away from
the uncomfortable not only play into the hands of social manipulators on a
global scale, the corporate driving forces that wreak havoc on both Earth and
our Spirit, they carry the habit of failure into everything they do.School.Jobs.Relationships.Goals and dreams.God given vision and destiny.Incredible potential, things that we can
hardly imagine – who are we to rob them of their greatness by teaching to
accept a lesser self?So here we have it,
while we are causing a certain humility and discomfort and willingness to work
and endure we are in fact unlocking a greater person in that child!When we buckle as a guide and leader and only
give them what they want when they want it we aren’t building them and
empowering them as we may think we are; we are smashing them, lowering their
self-worth, teaching the idolization of greatness in those rare masters of
their art instead of producing it!

Where
does that leave us, we teachers in the classroom, in the woods, on the floor of
the musty dojo and training hall?Tonight I’m listening to the crickets call after a long soft rain.The students enjoyed a fun movie and have
full bellies of warm food.They sleep
soundly in safe quarters after a day of learning and playing.But I feel good that they were prodded into
the cold water, that the little blood on a scratch made it a ‘good fall’, that
they did many pushups in the non-air conditioned dojo. I’m glad that the
stinging nettle taught them awareness of our plant friends and that river currents
are stronger than they are.Some of them
will go home after this summer and complain, but many of them – MOST of them
are destined to find that sometimes the sweetest taste can only be found after
eating a little bitter.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

FIREFLY THIS WEEK: Hello friends, the firefly gathering is upon us, I am no where near packed (I plan on going in style this year complete with solar power, multiple covered teaching area and a motorcycle) woohoo.....

it's not too late to get your tickets to one day or the whole thing, and the schedule is AMAZING. I will be teaching the following classes; Stick Jiu Jutsu parts 1 and 2 (Thursday am and pm) - learn strikes, locks, parries, chokes, escapes with a variety of stick lengths. Cherokee Knife throwing - not much to say there, Trapping (the big picture) - a look at trapping from a global perspective, meaning, psychology, behavior, weather, mantrapping, vehicles, animals, noise alarms, trigger systems, strikers, national maneuvering, and animals that display trapping prowess. Also Solo Whitetail Bow Hunting, offered twice - mostly a discussion with resources, techniques and strategy, stories, and some fun drills for awareness. Lastly a kids Ninja class that will not only include physical training and some self defense, but also improvisational acting and 'being in character' as well.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Tonight on destination America, in Hillbilly Blood, Eugene​​ and I build a primitive vine fish trap, make a coat from gathered grass to counteract hypothermia and almost get washed down a gnarly flooded river. As if that wasn't cool enough, we then use junk yard parts to create a large scale water filtration device and engineer a machine that turns wood chips into electricity!!! Check it out.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

People will never cease to
associate Ninjutsu training with blowguns, black outfits, throwing stars, and
smoke bombs, but in small steps I enjoy exposing my students to a larger
perspective on training that is as fun as it is educational and
rewarding. Kids even sign up for LOTSWild’s Ninja Camp thinking they will
suddenly inherit deadly skills of ancient stealth warriors, and parents think
it sounds fun, and a dozen area Karate schools have Ninja Camps or something
similar that has nothing to do with Japan, let alone Ninjas – so let’s discover
one aspect of our training! Kutsukae, or “Changing your footwear.”

Like
many things in Japanese culture and language this term can be interpreted in
various ways.It can, in fact, be as
straightforward as changing shoes to mask already laid tracks.It can also be wearing shoes that mimic
another animal, which cannot easily fool a good tracker, but it can throw off a
novice.Some clever folks have even made
shoes that stamped a backwards shape into the ground making it look like the
walker was moving in the opposite direction.Like all things, practice makes better, experience teaches hidden
lessons.

“Changing
your footwear” can mean much more than these simple tricks.Any hunter knows the importance of stalking,
and it doesn’t take a creative genius to find a small stick and scratch a
squirrel pattern in the leaves, or make turkey scratches to fool an approaching
deer and cover our own slight sound moving through the woods.There are many types of footstep methods that
can be explored in a variety of games and drills, then tested in higher stakes
situations that raise the heart rate and teach how adrenaline truly challenges
us.Nukiashi
is a very quiet method of walking and highlights the many correlations between
the Japanese Shinobi and native American Scouts.Quiet walking may be different depending on
what it is we are walking on!Wooden
surfaces, decks, steps, gravel, grass, leaves, dirt, rock, in water, on rooftops,
all have variations that need attention in technique and foot placement.We also have Shuriashi shuffling steps, and Kataashioto
or gimping gait.Students must learn
first to walk with an injury, then hide the injury, then walk like they are
trying to hide an injury.The best
false-injuries to portray are ones we have actually had in the past so we know
the full emotional and mental effect of that injury and not limit our actions
to the physical level alone.Running, or
Hashiriashi, can go in multiple
directions especially in a mountain or forest environment.Different concerns might include quiet
running, running within shadows, running for concealment, running quickly,
running with items or weapons, or running up and down, over surfaces including
rock, mud, grass, and through streams.Even Tunenoashi, or normal
walking, becomes a wonderful study on a quiet afternoon in camp.What is normal walking?We watch and listen to each other and in a
moment find that everyone’s normal is different.A fun game is to watch and listen to each
other and then copy each other to the smallest detail in sound, personality,
stepping length and raise of the foot, and so on.Emotional states greatly affect our strides,
as does physical health – these are important understandings for the tracker!And How
can we walk differently and embody an array of subtle internal feelings and
thoughts?

If you
are interested in exploring these topics further get in touch! I’d love to invite you out for a hello, or
have a new visitor for a weekend clinic this Fall.We may not ever need such skills to evade a
sword wielding pursuer, or to infiltrate a castle to steal vital plans, but learning
to walk like a ninja is good for general awareness, fitness, flexibility, and
opens our mind to a larger world that is always at our fingertips.Even as a schoolteacher I used to wear keys
on my belt, but then hold them silent as I approached the room after a short
absence!Students assumed I was always
accompanied by the soft jangling of keys and click-click of dress shoes.Not so!For more information visit www.lotswild.com
, and spend some time watching other people and animals – even without formal
instruction your creativity and awareness will in time have you Walking Like a
Ninja.

Friday, April 26, 2013

THIS SUNDAY: Save Camp Hope, this Sunday April 28 from 1-5pm Eugene Runkis﻿ and I will be demonstrating some cool survival stuff, meeting folks and doing whatever TV people do to bring attention to a worthy local cause in Cruso, NC. Camp Hope has served our local community and is also the film location for an upcoming new episode of Hillbilly Blood where we catch fish to smoke and preserve in an old fridge. Free drinks and lots of fun stuff going on. Bring attention to the preservation of this local landmark that is open to the public most of the year. I'll probably bring my guitar. Don't let the rain stop you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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LOTS Information

LOTS Wilderness LLC, is a premier experiential education center in western North Carolina. Summer camps give students the opportunity to track, study edible and medicinal plants, stealth, sailing, hiking, bow hunting, crafts and music in one of a kind 1 to 5 day sessions that preserve traditional knowledge of the Appalachian frontier and native Cherokee. We also offer after school classes year round in a variety of self-defense systems collectively known as Integrated Martial Arts for all ages and ability levels. Participants train in Tang Soo Do, Filipino arts, Kenpo-Jiu Jutsu, Jeet Kune Do concepts, and functional fitness among other topics.